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When Zi Lao Er and Zhou also sat down at the table, Ziyan solemnly added, "You must remember, no, you must do this—every morning, have a good and nutritious breakfast."
Ziying, like a little chick pecking at grains, nodded repeatedly while agreeing, "Yes, yes, yes, you must eat."
Thinking to herself how capable her sister was, she couldn't wait to reach for a piece of the pizza that her sister had gotten up early to knead and ferment with Honey for a long time. It was something her sister often mentioned fondly. She took a bite.
Zi Lao Er looked at his little daughter in astonishment. Zhou couldn't help but chuckle at Zi Lao Er's expression and nudged him with his elbow.
Only then did Zi Lao Er seem to wake from a dream, chuckling as he picked up his bowl and drank the Bird's Nest Porridge.
"Sister, this porridge is really delicious. What is that white-yellow thing you put in?"
Looking at her sister and then at Zi Lao Er and Zhou, Ziyan decided not to tell them that it was Bird's Nest.
Because in such a remote mountainous area, no one had ever eaten this thing or even recognized it. Only those in royal families might have had the chance to eat it, and even then it would have been sourced from overseas ancient Southeast Asia—either through tribute or special channels.
If anyone let slip about this to Murakami, it could lead to all sorts of trouble. At least in this Ancient Forest where they were currently located, peace could not be guaranteed anymore.
After thinking for a moment, Ziyan said it was a type of ordinary fungus that grows on cliffs.
No one understood this. So Zi Lao Er, Zhou, and Ziying believed Ziyan's words and didn't ask any further questions.
Everyone earnestly finished eating and drinking their bowls of porridge.
In the end, when Zi Lao Er saw some rice paste still clinging to his bowl, he lifted it up and licked it clean. Zhou shook his head with a smile and reminded the old man.
"Hey, Gu Young Master is still here; you're making a fool of yourself."
However, Zi Lao Er, who had always been quite stubborn, calmly said, "What's there to laugh about? Every grain of rice comes from a drop of sweat, and besides, this is the result of my daughter's hard work. How can we waste it?"
After saying this, Zi Lao Er straightened his neck and sat up straight, looking serious and self-righteous.
Gu Yuxuan smiled slightly and nodded at Zi Lao Er in agreement.
Beside them, Ziyan watched their conversation with a twitching mouth and then helplessly mimicked Gu Yuxuan's gesture.
She solemnly nodded at her father and said, "Yes, Dad, I agree. Mom, please don't make fun of Dad."
"Exactly, my daughter understands me. Hmph!"
Zi Lao Er turned his face away, pretending to be very serious.
...
In no time, breakfast was finished. Since Ziying's matter had been resolved, the family had no more concerns and began to prepare to leave the table and get to work.
Zhou stayed behind to wash the dishes and clean up. Zi Lao Er continued to tend to the seedling beds, while Ziying went with Ziyan and Gu Yuxuan to the mountain for Herb Gathering and to search for ingredients.
However, before they set off, Ziyan reminded her family to keep quiet and not to disclose anything about their activities in the mountains or their gathering of medicinal herbs to Murakami or anyone else outside.
Finally, she warned them that if they leaked any information, many people would come knocking and trying to steal from them. That would be minor; it could potentially bring even greater disasters to the family, even leading to separation or death.
Hearing this, Ziying, who was listening nearby, covered her mouth with her hand, not daring to make a sound.
Both Zi Lao Er and Zhou turned pale and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Yes, yes, we understand. Don't worry, daughter."
Seeing the expressions on her family's faces, Ziyan finally felt satisfied and gently nodded with a smile as she exchanged glances with Gu Yuxuan. Then she turned back to inform her parents that the three of them would not be coming back for lunch to avoid wasting time going back and forth.
At this moment, Gu Yuxuan felt quite satisfied, but not with Zi Lao Er, Zhou, or Ziying.
Instead, he was pleased with his beloved little girl, who turned out to be so articulate and persuasive.
Having gained experience from their previous trip up the mountain, Ziying and Ziyan easily followed Gu Yuxuan this time, heading towards the pine forest they had not fully explored last time.
However, they bypassed the area where they had already harvested Shiitake mushrooms and dug up He Shou Wu during their last visit, a place that would not yield any more rewards in the near future.
Along the way, they dug up a few He Shou Wu, but they were not very large. Ziyan was not disappointed; the three continued to search ahead.
Not far along, they suddenly discovered a small patch of Huang Niu Xi in a low-lying gully. Ziyan stopped in her tracks. Although this herb was not as valuable as He Shou Wu, it was still a useful medicinal herb that could be sold. Regardless of whether it was a white cat or a black cat, as long as it could catch mice and bring in money, it was definitely a good thing!
While Ziyan was thinking this, she quickly walked over and jumped into the gully.
Gu Yuxuan frowned nearby. "Hey, be careful."
By the time he arrived, Ziyan had already started pulling up the herbs.
Ziying, who was trailing behind, came over and asked in realization, "Sister, what kind of herb is this? Is this... is this useful too?"
"It's useful."
"Can it be sold for money?"
"Of course!"
With a splash, Ziying also jumped down to join the two in pulling up the Huang Niu Xi.
Gu Yuxuan stood on the slope for a moment in silence, thinking to himself: These two sisters are both money-minded!
In just a short while, the small patch of Cow Knee was completely cleared by the two sisters of the Zi Family, leaving only a few slowly growing seedlings.
Ziyan quickly tied up the sisters' spoils tightly and handed them to Gu Yuxuan, who was standing on the slope, looking quite relaxed and observing them.
Feeling 'honored,' Gu Yuxuan accepted the bundle of Cow Knee and placed it into one of the backpacks. He recalled how his 'Little Money Lover' had insisted that one person carry a backpack when they set out, and even directed Ziying and Gu Yuxuan to each carry an additional empty Bamboo Basket. Every time he thought of this, Gu Yuxuan couldn't help but chuckle.
After placing the Cow Knee properly, Gu Yuxuan pulled the two sisters out of the small ditch.
"Let's go," Ziyan said.
The three quickly adjusted their backpacks and baskets, continuing to walk forward while searching for more finds. Along the way, they picked up some Shiitake mushrooms, as well as a small amount of Matsutake and other miscellaneous fungi.
As they ventured deeper into the forest, the once singular Pine Trees gradually decreased, replaced by an increasing number of various ancient trees and low shrubs of unknown names, along with new and old vines spreading everywhere.
However, Ziyan soon spotted something surprising. As they walked, there was a relatively wide and shaded small ditch beneath a not-too-high stone cliff on the side of the path.
The sides of the small ditch were littered with decayed wood, likely washed there during heavy rain or flash floods. At this moment, those decayed logs were covered with Black Fungus and White Fungus.
Ziyan was thrilled, thinking to herself that she knew there would be many surprises waiting for her in this forest.
Looking at these lovely Black Fungus and White Fungus, Ziyan remained quite composed this time and called Ziying and Gu Yuxuan over to gather them.
To avoid 'killing the goose that lays the golden eggs,' Ziyan instructed them: "Leave those Black Fungus about the size of a thumb for next time, and the same goes for the White Fungus; don't touch any that are too small."
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